Publisher’s Page

THE HVACR MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE

TERRY Tanker Publisher ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com

HEATHER Langone Managing Editor hlangone@hvacrbusiness.com MEGAN LaSalla Art Director mlasalla@hvacrbusiness.com

BRUCE Sprague Circulation Manager bs200264@sbcglobal.net BARBARA Kerr VP Operations bkerr@hvacrbusiness.com ADVERTISING STAFF ERIC Hagerman National Sales Manager Tel 216-409-3246 ehagerman@hvacrbusiness.com TERRY Tanker Publisher Tel 440-731-8600 ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com

HVACR Business, founded January 1981, is a monthly national trade magazine serving contractors, mechanical engineers, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, distributors, trade associations, and others in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry primarily in the U.S. The editorial focus and mission of HVACR Business is to provide business owners and managers with the very best business management concepts available. Critical topics covered include leadership, management, strategy, finance, sales, marketing, training, education, staffing, operations, human resources, legal issues, customer service and more. We are dedicated to helping contractors master these key management skills and provide them with the resources necessary to build strong, profitable companies. Every effort is made to provide accurate information, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Copyright©2022 by JFT Properties LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced or retransmitted in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any information storage retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Unauthorized copying may subject violators to criminal penalties as well as liabilities for substantial monetary damages up to $100,000 per infringement, costs and attorneys’ fees. This publication should not be utilized as a substitute for professional advice in specific situations. If legal, medical, accounting, financial, consulting, coaching or other professional advice is required, the services of the appropriate professional should be sought. Neither the authors nor the publisher may be held liable in any way for any interpretation or use of the information in this publication. The authors will make recommendations for solutions for you to explore. Any recommendation is always based on the authors’ research and experience. The information contained herein is accurate to the best of the publisher’s and authors’ knowledge; however, the publisher and authors can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof. Subscription Rates: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year $48; 2 years $75; 3 years $96; Canadian and foreign, 1-year $108 U.S. funds only. Single copies $8. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only. Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, write to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039 or call (440) 731-8600; or visit our Web site at www.hvacrbusiness.com. For questions regarding your subscription, please contact bkerr@hvacrbusiness.com. HVACR Business (ISSN 2153-2877) Copyright ©2022 is published monthly by JFT Properties LLC,31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039, Phone: 440731-8600. Periodicals postage is paid at North Ridgeville, OH and additional mailing offices. (USPS 025-431) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039.

31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104 North Ridgeville, OH 44039 Tel: (440) 731-8600 Web site: www.hvacrbusiness.com (ISSN: 2153-2877) www.hvacrbusiness.comwww.hvacrbusiness.comwww.HVACRBUSINESS.comwww.hvacrbusiness.com

BY TERRY TANKER PUBLISHER’S PAGE

‘The World’s Shortest Marketing Plan’ Goes A Long Way

Recently, I sat down to analyze our company’s marketing goals and objectives. The original plan had been written more than a year ago and didn’t include plans for the new website launching early this summer. That project alone will take up significant resources and while the budget for the project is set, the time commitment is not. I’ve been through several website launches in my career and the investment in time, is significant.

I wanted to write a plan that would include components for our visitors, our advertisers, our staff, and the vendor incharge of the project. Add an additional several thousand pages of content into the mix, and it’s easy to see how this plan could become cumbersome.

Keeping the stakeholders abreast of that’s happening and on the same page, is the main objective of the plan. One of the larger drawbacks to most marketing plans is their complexity and length. Expecting everyone to read the lengthy marketing masterpiece you created, isn’t realistic.

To find a template that would serve as the “CliffsNotes” version, I searched “world’s shortest marketing plan” in hopes of finding a good option. At the very top of the search was a link to one of our former monthly columnists, Guy Kawasaki. There in the link to his blog was the information I needed. “The World’s Shortest Marketing Plan” written by Kelly O’Dell, a speaker, author, and leadership coach. It served our purposes well. You can find more of Kelly’s work

at www.kellyodell.com. You can Make this your first step also download this template here https://kellyodell.se/the-worldstoward improving internal shortest-marketing-plan/ or from communications. our website at www.hvacrbusiness. com/resource-center.html. This template is perfect for any marketer, and once filled in, addresses customer needs, product positioning, price, promotion, timing, cost, product benefits, distribution, and more. An additional benefit of this template is its capability to allow for editing of the questions, so they are relevant to your company and your situation. If you’ve never developed a marketing plan, this is a wonderful place to start. If you have created one, and it’s become too complex, here’s a way to simplify things and boil them down to what really matters. Best of all, this is easily shared with your entire company, large or small, with vendors, and anyone else with whom you want to be on the same page. Also, as a great complement to this marketing plan, in our archives, you can find an article by one of our former board members, Jackie Rainwater. He wrote “Great Companies are Built with Great Internal Communications”. It will most certainly be a beneficial read if you are in the planning stages or rebranding stage of your business. Finally, there are several benefits to using this plan. First, it’s short, concise, and manageable. Second, it’s customizable for your individual marketing project. And it’s a terrific way to keep multiple groups on the same page. Most importantly, you’ll open a line of communication with your employees, and improve internal communications and input. u

Product

(Including aftersales and service)

Price

Place

Promotion The World’s Shortest Marketing Plan

WHAT WHY WHEN HOW HOW MUCH WHO

What products do you need? What need does it fill? When do you need it? How will the product fill the need? Product cost, volume to be sold, etc.? Customer segments to be targeted?

What price will you sell for? Why is that the right price? How long will that price be valid? How will the price develop over time? How much sales and margin will be created? Different prices for different segments?

How will products be distributed? Why choose these channels? When do customers choose different channels? How will we create or enter these channels? What are the cost/benefits of these channels? How do different segments use different channels?

What types of promotion will be used? Why choose these activities? Timing – launch, lifecycle, etc.? How will the promotions be executed? Costs/benefits of the promotions? Target groups for various promotions?